Swimmers tail

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poiuytrewq

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2yr old lab. Absolutely loves water.
He’s had swimmers tail I think either once or twice previously.
He doesn’t get it terribly, it’s gone within 48 hours, apparently it can last weeks .
So we have avoided water since, over winter.
Yesterday I took them all off for a nice long different walk and found an area of footpath too flooded for the terriers so by passed it through some fields closer to the river (which I know doesn’t make sense!) so in he went and was having so much fun I stupidly let him.
Swimmers tail again. My fault.
So question is, he really does love water. How can I avoid this?
Regular very short bursts building up slowly? Or what?
I can just avoid it if it’s not a fixable thing but I love taking him and he has such fun. We also have use of private water meadows so it’s a nice place to let him go free and run properly which I can’t do in public places as he’s funny with other dogs.
 
Scout cannot swim anymore, sadly, as his tail (a great, big, heavy lump of a thing) just loses it every time.
It can help massaging the main tail muscles after swimming but not with his.
 
That’s sad. Did you try conditioning him to it? Just wondering if that may work or if it’s just something he is prone to can’t be avoided.
I vaguely remember spud our elderly lab getting it once when he was young but never since and I don’t take him that far anymore but he always retrieved off water better than off dry land and was fine.
 
Scout can do one paddle deep enough to use his tail and he suffers. So I just don’t now, it’s so painful.
 
My old Toller had it once when we were on holiday - the vet said it was likely a combination of not much exercise the day we travelled as he was in the car for a few hours then lots of swimming in cold water the next day. It was very painful and seeing a Toller’s tail dragging on the floor was so sad. It cleared up with painkillers and never happened again but we were careful to limit swimming on the first couple of days of a beach holiday and in general stop swimming sessions before he wanted to
 
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